I'm the last person in the world who you would think had a problem with a cheating wife, but I think it's possible that I do and no one is more surprised over it than me.

My wife Ellen is not all that physically attractive (except to me of course). She is over-weight, has a rather plain face and wears her hair the way she likes it even though most people would say that it was very unbecoming. Makeup would help her face some, but she refuses to wear any, and the clothes she wears would be more suited to an eighty-year-old great grandmother. Looks were not what attracted me to Ellen. She is highly intelligent, has great common sense, is witty, charming and has a great sense of humor. She is also loving, affectionate and very attentive to me. To sum it up, Ellen suits me, but I seriously doubted that she would appeal to anyone else.

Ellen and I have been together just a little over six years and even though Ellen has been working for the same company for over ten years I've never met any of the people that she works with. Her company has a picnic every summer and a holiday party in December, but for one reason or another I've never been able to attend the events. This year would be the first time that nothing would interfere with my attending the Christmas party and Ellen was excited at finally being able to introduce me to her friends.

As office type parties go hers wasn't bad. The people were friendly, the food was good and the booze was plentiful. There were the usual "rah rah" speeches from three of the company officers, bonus checks were handed out and the tables were rearranged to create a dance floor while a live band tuned up their instruments. The music started and people began moving to the dance floor and Ellen and I joined them for the first two numbers and then I took Ellen back to our table and excused myself to go to the bathroom. When I came back to the table Ellen was gone and I looked around and saw her out on the dance floor. The song ended and her partner was bringing her back to the table when the next number started and a man intercepted her and took her back out on the floor. That was the first surprise of the many I was to get that night. Normally Ellen is very shy around other people and as I watched her and her partner move around the floor I noticed that her partner was a good ten years younger than she was. Come to think of it so was the first man I saw her dancing with. Almost as if needing to confirm that observation I looked around the room to take a second look at him. I finally found him sitting at a corner table with six other men. They were all watching Ellen on the dance floor.

In looking for him I was surprised to notice how many single men that there were at the party. About thirty seconds before the song ended one of the men from the table in the corner got up and went out to the floor and cut in on Ellen and her partner. When the song stopped Ellen and her new partner remained out on the floor for the next number. Finally the band took a break and Ellen returned to our table.

"Sorry darling, but for some unaccountable reason I seem to be popular tonight."

"As long as you are having a good time and enjoying yourself. That is why we came, isn't it?"

During the next two hours there was a steady stream of men coming to our table and asking Ellen to dance. I didn't really care because while I do know how to dance I don't really care all that much for it. As long as they were asking and Ellen was willing I was happy to let them take that chore off my hands. It got boring just watching Ellen dance so I spent some time looking around the room. I noticed three young and very beautiful women sitting alone at a table and I wondered why they weren't out on the floor dancing. I observed them off and on for the next hour or so and not once in that time did I see anyone go up to them and ask them to dance. Very odd I thought, given as many young single men as were present. I also noticed that the three women seemed to be watching Ellen and I thought I detected disapproval on their faces.

My drinking finally caught up with me and it was time to hit the bathroom again. I was sitting in a stall when some men came in. I heard zippers and then splashing and then one man said, "Do you think it will happen tonight?"

"No reason not to. It has happened at every company picnic and Christmas party for the last six or seven years."